Copperhead Bow

[GregB]

This is the latest bow I've made, and one of the most challenging. It was a very knarley piece of Tn. osage, and I wondered more then once if it would make a bow. I originally laid it out 1-1/2" in width. While using dry heat to attempt to remove a bad deflex dip in the upper limb right out of the fades, a bad crack on the belly appeared at that spot and went out the edge of the bow. I might have been able to glue and wrap it, but instead decided to narrow the limb to 1-1/4" to remove the crack. I removed the entire 1/4" from one side of the bow to get rid of the crack. This would make it the narrowest adult osage bow I've made. I had to live with the dip in the limb because I couldn't remove it. The bow also had cracks at each tip running between grains. My first inlays were also added to this bow to remove the cracks. I wanted to put copperhead skins on the bow, but between the skins Pappy and I had on hand, we didn't have a set long enough to cover the full length. So I left the last 6" to the tips bare osage and wrapped the end of the skins, also a first for me. All previous snake skin backed bows (rattlers) were running full length of the limbs.

The bow is 60-1/2" ntn, 1-1/4" width to 3/8" tips, and 48# @ 26". The dip in the top limb makes the tiller look off, but I think the tiller is decent, and tweaking more would have removed more weight which I didn't want to do.

I'd like to say that I've learned a lot from many of the folks on this site. Many of the fine bows I've seen and the great information freely passed on encouraged me to take risks with this bow that I wouldn't have taken before.

Before you ask, I havn't got any full draw pictures...Pappy will have to post some the next time he gets on. My digital camera crapped out on me, and I had to take the pictures with my 35mm camera and put on disks. The film was on two different rolls, one of which (the one with the full draw pictures) was apparently loss by our local Walmart Store. The wife is going to check again this evening to see if they've found the roll, but probably will be out of luck. So...Pappy, can you help me out with the pictures you took with your camera?

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[GregB]

Here's some more pics...

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[GregB]

and here's the last of them...

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[Justin Snyder]

That is pretty. I actually think I like it better with the 6" of yellow wood at the ends, than if the snakes were full length.  I love the black overlays too.  Just all around one heck of a piece of art.  I guess that wraps up BOM for selfbows for April, and its only the 3rd.  Justin

[Hillbilly]

Soooooeeee! That's a fine lookin' weapon, Greg. My favorite osage bow is a gnarly lil' crooked splinter like that, and I went through a lot of the same stuff making it, sounds like. Good job!  

[GregB]

Thanks Justin and Hillbilly, your nice comments mean a lot to me. You're a couple of the guys I was talking about that I've been learning from! Thanks again!

[Dustybaer]

well, i'd say it was worth the effort.  beautiful bow.  i like the stitching on the handle.  since she's so narrow, did you test her with badger's mass formula?

[Agbowyer]

Man that's a great looking bow. I've been waiting to get my hands on some copperhead skins for awhile now. I knew they would look good. You just proved it. I really like the way the ends came out. You did a super job....Chris

[Pat B]

Greg, No wonder that thing came out so kinky if you learned from those two Bozos.
  She is a real beauty! I usually leave the skins short on bows so the string and the skin don't get messed up when stringing. It gives the bow a cool look  !!!   Nice work Greg.    Pat

ps. good thing you didn't have to toast this stave!

[cowboy]

Man that is one heck of nice lookin bow! I kinda like the way them skins stop shy of the end too with the wraps. High five on makin it all work out, obviously worth the effort.

[Roger]

Great lookin bow Greg!...love the skins. Ain't that gnarly Osage a hoot...LOL Nice work on a challenging stave!

R

[GregB]

I reallly appreciate your kind words about my bow. It feels good to know that fellow bowyers appreciate my work!

Marius, I havn't applied Badgers mass formula to this bow. I was just striving to get to make a workable bow hopefully with decent weight. The flaws in the wood forced the direction I took with the bow. I would like to learn more about Badgers technique though...

Chris, I'm really happy with the brilliant color that came out from the skins. I didn't darken the back prior to applying the skins, don't know if that would have made any difference or not.

Pat, sorry but I have to include you also with that elite pair of bozo's you mentioned! I knew I'd seen short skins used like this before...

[white wood]

very nice bow greg! glad the stave worked out for you. 1 1/4" is pretty narrow! did it take any extra set because of it? i also like the looks of the skins stopping and showing off the osage. the skins look awesome! ill have a set of copperheads soon and will have to get a piece of osage because they look great on that color wood! your handle also looks great and all the colors work together on that sweet looking bow! -jesse

[GregB]

Thanks Jesse! I just went and messured for set. It is holding about 3/4" of reflex at this point after shooting over 100 arrows out of it. Having said that, I had reflexed the bow prior to tillering which offset some of the potential set that any bow would get from tillering. Also the natural dip out of the fades in the top limb is in a deflex direction.

My wife just got back from Walmart and they found the missing pictures. Here are some including full draw...

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[venisonburger]

What a beauty, graceful, almost looks like it wants to duck into the wood pile it's on top of. I really like the color of copperhead skins, one day I'll have to score some and give em a try.
can't wait to see the full draw when you get them, If you can tiller a snakey pc like that you're reading wood well.
VB